5 tips to be a better public speaker

Most people find public speaking a daunting task. It makes them feel anxious and fearful thinking of delivering a speech in front of a small or large audience.

Most people find public speaking a daunting task. It makes them feel anxious and fearful thinking of delivering a speech in front of a small or large audience. Learning Public speaking is vital for any career prospect. From sharing your thoughts with your friends to communicating with your coworkers and presenting your ideas at a company meeting, public speaking helps advance your professional and personal life. So in case you are avoiding it, that means you are also dodging your opportunities of moving up the career ladder.
If you want to develop and hone this life-changing skill, follow these 5 tips and tricks to be a better public speaker.

1. Know your Audience:  Before you start writing your speech, be specific about who your listeners are and what kind of event you will be speaking in. Analyzing this will help you construct the content with the choice of words, and level of information that your audience will understand and relate to it.

2. Write it out:  Making an outline of the speech will help you during the deliverable. No matter if it's a 3 or 10 minutes speech, writing an intro for the beginning, middle, and ending will keep you focused and help you not to distract from the main topics.

3. Practice, Practice, and Practice:  It's normal to feel heart-pounding, palms sweaty, and butterflies in the stomach when you are nervous. Even the seasonal public speaker feels nervous while standing at the podium. The best you can do is to Practice your speech! Try practicing as many times as possible in front of the mirror or in front of friends and family. You can even record yourself speaking. It will help you to monitor your facial expressions and other body language.

4. Be Natural:  Pretending to be a person you are not and pushing yourself to speak or behave in a certain manner can make your speech a catastrophe. If you are nervous, it's better to share it with your audience. It will help create a space where you both can be comfortable and real.

5. Look for Feedback and Adapt to it:  Make eye contact with your audience while speaking. It will help to measure their reactions, modify your message, and stay flexible with the situation. If you keep focusing on the scripted speech, it will make your audience lose their attention.

Final Thought

Nobody becomes a better public speaker on the first go. It comes with practicing and lots of practicing. Also, remember, that what makes you fear, are necessary to overcome to be successful. We at Younity, organize weekly workshops to improve your interpersonal skills that include leadership, public speaking, critical thinking, and much more!